I woke up the next morning to the smell of coffee. Opening my eyes, I smiled as I remembered the events of last night. I sat up and realized I fell asleep on the couch, but where was Andrew?
He walked in the door seconds later, but now he was dressed in a grey sweater and jeans.
"Hey" he sounded unsure.
"Hi! When did you leave?"
He shoved his hands in his pockets, "just a few minutes ago to change."
"Are you okay?" I asked, confused as to why he was so nervous.
"Yeah, are you?"
"Okay, what's wrong?" I finally asked.
He seemed to think about that for a moment, "I wasn't sure if you were gonna wake up and regret last night" he confessed.
"Oh" I looked down. Have I really been that bad? Dumb question, yes I've been that bad.
"Yeah" Andrew seemed defeated. I stood up. I have a lot of making up to do. Andrew was always nothing short of amazing and he deserves someone to make him feel that way. I walked over to him, stood on my tippy toes and wrapped my arms around his neck.
I could feel him soften as he removed his hands from his pockets and wrapped his arms around my waist. He buried his face in my neck and I could hear him sigh in relief.
"I promise I don't regret anything about last night" I assured him.
Andrew pulled back, his smile was brilliant. He ran his fingers through my hair and down my neck. "I love you."
"I love you too" I smiled back and leaned in to kiss him.
"And I love both of you" Jack cheered from the doorway, right before our lips were about to touch. I let go of Andrew and stepped back, embarrassed and unsure.
"Relax Casey, we already caught you two sleeping together. And on the couch? Have you no decency brother?" Jack patted Andrew on the back and then headed for the kitchen.
"How are you two related again?" I asked sarcastically and followed Jack into the kitchen for coffee. Andrew stood against the counter.
I filled a coffee mug and handed it to Andrew, "thanks!" he smiled. Well, he continued to smile because he really hasn't stopped. I filled a mug up for myself and added creamer.
"Where's Rachel?" I asked.
Jack was sitting with his back against the counter on his phone, "she went to get breakfast. She should be back soon" he said without looking up.
Andrew came up from behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I flinched as a reflex, but then let my self sink into his arms. I'm going to have to get used to this.
"So now that you two are finally together, does that mean you're going to be all over each other like this all the time?" Jack so bluntly pointed to us.
I blushed and Andrew's arms tightened. Hearing Jack say "together" was surreal. I wonder if Andrew felt the same.
"Jack, go away" Andrew kindly demanded. Jack rolled his eyes and walked out into the living room.
Andrew spun me around, keeping his arms around my waist. "I'm sorry."
"I'm used to it after living with him for two years"
"Just imagine fifteen years living with him" he griped.
"I'm so sorry" I went a long with him. He smiled and leaned in to me, softly placing his lips on mine. I breathed him in as the sensation of his mouth on mine still overwhelmed me. We were interrupted again by the sound of someone clearing their throat.
I looked over to see Rachel standing in the kitchen. I didn't even hear her come in! "Hey Rach" I blushed and wiped my lips.
"Good morning Casey" Rachel responded mischievously, setting bags of food on the counter.
I stepped back from Andrew, not sure what to do. I haven't been in a relationship for so long. And even when I was, Scott wasn't around much for the last four years of our relationship.
Andrew looked confused. Oh man was I messing this up already? "I'm um, gonna take Lola for a walk" I decided, and started towards my room to get shoes. I needed to figure out what I'm doing.
Walking into my room, I grabbed my shoes from the closet. When I walked back out of my closet, Andrew was walking into my room and closing my door behind him.
"What's wrong?" he asked, his arms folded across his chest. This was different, he only does that when he's serious.
"Nothing, I just needed some air" I was only half lying.
"Casey" he called out my bluff.
I sat down on my bed, "it's stupid."
"Try me"
I fell back and sighed, "I don't know what to do."
"What do you mean?" he still sounded serious. I sat up on my arms to look at him, he was looking down at the ground.
"I don't know how to be— wait why won't you look at me?" I asked, realizing he is usually insistent on eye contact during serious conversations. I can't count how many times he asked me to look at him when he tried to force me to open up.
He glanced at me, but then looked behind me towards the window, "don't change the subject."
"I'm not, I just don't understand why you won't look at me" I reiterated.
"Just tell me what's going on?" he insisted.
"Not until you tell me why you are staring at the window instead of me" I demanded. It felt kind of nice to be on the other side of things for once.
"I'm trying to be respectful Casey" he looked back down.
"How are you not being respectful?" I was confused.
"First tell me what's going on with you" he asked again.
"Ugh fine, I don't really know what to do... with you." I confessed.
"What does that mean?"
"I can't have this conversation with you looking at the floor Andrew." I patted the bed, "just sit."
Andrew sat at the very end of the bed. Okay, what is he doing now? Maybe he was just as confused as I was about this.
"Better?" I asked him.
He swallowed hard, "what do you mean 'you don't know what to do with me'?"
"I just mean, I don't know how to be, like" I waved my hand in between us, "you know?"
Andrew laughed and finally looked at me, "you mean you don't know how to be a couple?"
"Are we a couple? Has that been like, settled?" I sounded completely unsure.
"I mean, I love you and you love me so I would assume so?"
I fell back onto my bed again, "you must thing I'm crazy."
He laughed, but didn't move. He just looked down at his hands, "no I don't think you're crazy."
I rolled onto my stomach, closer to him. "So why are you being weird?"
"I told you, I'm trying to be respectful"
"What does that even mean? How are you not being respectful?"
He just writhed his hands in his lap.
"Andrew? You're making me nervous!" I exclaimed. He smiled, but still looked at his hands. I sat up and moved closer to him.
He looked up to the ceiling and sighed, "you aren't making this easy for me."
"You know for a guy who was very pushy about being honest last night, you're being incredibly vague" I pouted.
"We should go take Lola for a walk" he stood up.
"No"
He turned around, "why not?"
I sat up and crossed my arms over my chest like he did when he walked in here, "what's wrong?" I said in a deep serious voice.
Andrew tried not to smile, but those dimples give him away. "You're mocking me now?"
"Well, since we've apparently switched personalities, I figured it makes sense" I continued to pout.
He shoved his hands in his pockets, "I've missed you."
His words surprised me. I guess it makes sense, I haven't treated him very fair the last couple of years. I was so ashamed of myself I wouldn't even give him an explanation. I reached my hand out to him, and he grabbed it. We both smiled at each other before I yanked him down to the bed with me.
"Casey!" he laughed as he tried to avoid landing on top of me.
"Just tell me!" I demanded, "is it the bed?"
Andrew sat up, "kind of."
"Okay, what about the bed?"
"It's more just you.... in the bed" he confessed.
"Oh...Ohhh" I said as realization hit, "that's what you meant by respectful."
Andrew nodded.
I sat up and moved next to him, I turned his face so that his was inches from mine. He placed his hand on mine and set it down on his lap. "Casey, what are you doing?" he whispered.
I ran my hand through his hair, down to the back of his neck and pulled him so that his lips were barely touching mine.
"I'm just curious" I whispered back. I closed what little gap we had between each other, taking all the feelings I've kept bottled up for so long and unleashing them onto Andrew.
Andrew ran his hand up my back and pulled me closer, but it wasn't close enough. Now that I've decided to let Andrew in, I couldn't get enough. Like I was making up for lost time.
"Casey" Andrew breathed heavily, "we can't."
"I know" I breathed back, but kissed him again.
"Casey" he broke free again, and rested his forehead on mine, as he slowed his breathing.
"I'm sorry" I murmured, starting to feel self conscious.
He shook his head, "don't apologize."
I laid back on the bed, "I forgot how nice it all felt."
Andrew laid back with me, "me too." He grabbed my hand and interlaced our fingers. We both sprang up when there was a knock on the door.
"Are you guys coming to eat or what?" Jack yelled.
"Be right there" Andrew yelled back before looking at me. "C'mon let's go."
He stood up and then pulled me to him, "I love you."
I stood on my tippy toes and kissed him, "I know!" I sang and walked away.
"Hey!" Andrew grabbed me by my waist and spun me around to him, "oh no, you don't get to walk away anymore!" He opened the door and took me by the hand.
"It's about time!" Jack teased from the kitchen table.
Andrew and I took our seats as Rachel set plates in front of us. "I hope you guys are hungry!" she exclaimed, opening the containers of food in the center of the table.
"How come you guys came back so early? I figured you would enjoy the hotel" I asked as I loaded my plate up with scrambled eggs.
"No that hotel was terrible. The walls were so thin!" Rachel explained as she loaded her plate as well. "Besides, it looks like more important things were happening here" she winked at me.
I blushed and pushed around my eggs.
"Oh come on, I bought breakfast! Now I want details!" she continued.
I glanced over at Andrew who was already looking at me, "Um, well Andrew brought me ice cream since Jack stole mine for breakfast yesterday."
"Way to throw be under the bus bro" Jack remarked.
Andrew shrugged, "it was worth it" he smiled at me.
"Okay, so be brought you ice cream, then what?" Rachel prodded.
"We talked, then argued, then kissed, then talked some more, kissed some more and then fell asleep on the couch" I gave her the condensed version.
"Just like that huh?" Rachel raised her brow.
"Yup" Andrew and I said at the same time.
"I don't know if I'm going to like this after all" Rachel gestured to Andrew and me playfully.
"Too late, there's no going back now" I teased and looked to Andrew.
"Absolutely not" he beamed.
